Early Journey
by Marina Lenore
Summary: What might have happened if Kagome fell into the well aged seven instead of fifteen?


OMIGOSH GUYS IT'S BEEN SO LONG! A lot has happened; my medicine has been working amazingly an I've moved for financial stability, but my muse dried the fuck up until recently, when I got drunk for the first time in nine or so years. That sorta kick-started my muse and even though She didn't begin on a fic I have going, she started this number, and I am super pleased with it and hope you enjoy it as well. I miss and love you all and hope to get back to my currently in progress fics, but no promises, unfortunately my medicine seems to be suppressing my creativity. I can't just get drunk every day XD.

* * *

The seven year old girl, unique among her fellows for raven-wing black hair that held a blue sheen rather than red, and vivid eyes that were cerulean instead of brown, shrieked wildly as the cover of the well in the scary well house she was exploring – thanks to a dare – burst open, revealing a multi-limbed creature, double-jointed legs lining its side as the torso of a naked woman topped off the inhuman lower body. The creature swooped down at her, and she tripped, toppling into the well in an uncoordinated burst of speed; and she fell, and fell, and fell.

When the little girl finally dropped – that is, finished falling through blueness and landed on her butt in the dirt – she shrieked again. Because the creepy insect-lady was _still there_! And she was spitting curses and glowing and hissing and it was _scary_! A warm pink glow suffused the child's body as her fear skyrocketed, and she began to cry softly, certain that death was upon her. Before she could give in fully, however, a low, rumbling, menacing growl filled the area, and she looked up with tear stained cheeks as the weird creature turned and began to scream in fury. Kagome didn't see the following battle, but from the sound of it, whatever was fighting the half-insect woman was quite stronger than her, as not even five minutes later the sounds of fighting and screeching finally stopped. She sniffled, looking up in fear as a face peered down at her, and a figure – this one fully human-looking – jumped into the well, picked the slightly grubby girl up, and leapt back out once more.

A soft, purr-like growl reverberated through the person's chest and into Kagome's body, making the child look up and gasp in awe. Oh, he was _beautiful_! Smooth, pale skin; long, flowing silver hair; burning golden eyes; a lavender crescent on his forehead; crimson lining his eyelids and gracing his cheeks. Kagome blushed as a slender silver eyebrow raised in an eloquent—but silent—chastisement for her rudeness in staring and she looked down at her fingers, twining them nervously in her obi. "What is your name, girl?"

She looked back up and gulped, noticing his intense stare and the pointed tips of his ears, noticing that she could _feel_ energy coming from his body in a way she had never experienced before, that it was warring with the pink energy still leaking out from her. "Um. My name is Higurashi Kagome."

She was too intimidated to ask him his own name, but he nodded and offered it to her anyway. "This one is Sesshōmaru, Lord of the Western Lands of Japan. You are extraordinarily powerful, for a human. How is it you have no training in how to use your ki?"

Kagome blinked, looked at her glowing hands, and then back up at the Lord. "Where I come from, ki is a myth. I've never seen it before. Or felt it. Is that _ki_ that I can feel from you, Sesshōmaru-sama? Why can I feel it?"

Blue eyes were wide with curiosity, but something about this being made her hesitate to fully indulge in her curiosity. And, _being_, because, well – surely with those markings, that outfit, and the ki (she assumed that was what it was, anyway) she could feel raging violently inside of him, he was no human. His "human" comment was another sign pointing to that, as were the slit pupils in his gold eyes, and the pointed ears. **And**, now that she noticed them, the claws on the hand he had just used to pick up her own, humming softly as he inspected the slightly grubby digits. Then he pulled his clawed hand away and nodded firmly. "This Sesshōmaru can teach you, your ki is like yōki enough to make it work. It is a waste to leave such power and potential untrained, even in a human. Also; yes. It is ki – yōki to be specific. You can feel it because you have the potential to be a miko."

"I…" Kagome was grateful for the offer, she really was, but what about going home? School? Her family?

He sensed her hesitance and looked her over as the glow finally receded back into her body. "Where are you from, little miko?"

She pointed to the well, "I fell through the well in the well house at home, and fell back here. Home should be _here_, but it isn't…"

He walked over to the well and – scented? Yes he was scenting – the air there, nodding even as he grimaced a bit. "Time magic. Well, this Sesshōmaru will try to send you home, as you doubtless have responsibilities to attend to. Do you think you can make it back here in a few days' time?"

A few days would be the weekend, and ever since Sōta came around last year, Kagome was left largely alone on weekends. Not that her Mama and Grandpa didn't care, but her baby brother was a handful. So she nodded softly, stating with care – he'd said time magic which meant that since her home shrine wasn't here, she was in the past, "Every seven days, I can come for two days. In three days will be the first day, and the next day will be the other day. Kagome will leave after breakfast, and be here."

He nodded shortly and jumped onto the lip of the well, before descending into it smoothly, and Kagome watched the blue magic enfold her, landing safely in her own time and going back home. There were steps cut into the side of the well, so she could climb out easily.

* * *

Sesshōmaru watched as the girl disappeared from his arms, and made a discontented "Hn" as he thought about the strange encounter. The centipede yōkai had been driven to try and claim the girl's power, for sure – miko had _reiryoku_, not whatever kind of ki that child—Kagome—had produced. It almost certainly came from an outside source, despite being more entangled with her core and being than he had ever seen ki exist within a ningen. Much more akin to yōkai and yōki, was that little girl and her ki. Still, he would have to keep to this area of his lands now, because he had a responsibility to train this child. Of course, he could always leave her to a ningen, but it was far better to have a miko with an open mind and a debt to him. Speaking of, the well was deep, so he used his acid to burn hand and foot holds into the stone side – otherwise she would be trapped in her time, unable to exit the well, and it would likely be boarded up in order to prevent her from falling in again.

* * *

Three days later, Kagome climbed down into the well – she would rather not risk jumping again, that seemed like a bad idea, not to mention kind of stupid (she could break something!) – and when the blue light enveloped her, she sighed with relief. It worked! She'd almost begun to believe the whole thing was a very weird dream. Those thoughts were proven thoroughly wrong, however, when white fabric swirled around her and she felt herself being gently lifted into strong arms, then heard and felt air whooshing past her as she was taken out of the well. "Hello, Sesshōmaru-sama. I hope you were not waiting too long."

"This one arrived half a candlemark ago. It was not much of a wait, little miko. You have broken your fast, yes?"

Kagome nodded, smiling shyly, "Yes, I've eaten this morning, Sesshōmaru-sama."

He nodded and sat down under a tree, his back resting straight against it and his crossed legs resting against the bulging roots. He beckoned to her and she walked closer, before he said, "Sit like this, or as close to it as you can manage, little miko. Your first lesson begins now."

Kagome obediently sat next to him to the side, between two large roots and her back against the tree. She felt… warm, and comforted, and tingling, but it was a weird kind of feeling, so once she sensed it, she gasped, and she saw him nod as she looked up at him. "What you feel is called earth-ki. It is similar to reiki, only instead of being produced and generated from within the being it resides in, this is produced and generated by wells of power within the earth and plants. Trees hold this ki close to the ground, making it infinitely easier to access. Do you understand?"

The little miko-in-training bit her lip as she adjusted to where she could feel the earth-ki better, nodding and then stating, "Yes, Sesshōmaru-sama. Earth-ki is everywhere and trees make it easier to feel the earth-ki."

Then she paused thoughtfully and asked, "Do we _use_ earth-ki, or can it only be felt and sensed? If it's the last, then is there a reason to learn to feel and sense it?"

* * *

Sesshōmaru was impressed at the thought behind her question – most yōkai children would ask many other things but not the purpose of even being shown something, just assuming it had a reason and taking or ignoring direction. He smirked ever-so-slightly and tilted his head. "Hn. It can be used, passively, but not to begin with. Earth-ki is integral to beings who can sense ki, however, as feeling the state of the ki in any given area can tell you the health, activity, and danger of the area. As well, it can be used to give additional power to internal ki, making it expand and increase, as well as endure more. Can you think of ways in which this can be used?"

He looked over at her as his limbs gradually became suffused with the warm, welcoming ki of the earth. He hadn't done this in decades, and it was intensely soothing; he felt more relaxed and content than he had in a very long time, which might explain the ease with which he abandoned his inherent reticent nature. Then again, it could also be the inquisitive, absorbent, and eager nature of his pupil – ningen she may be, but this little onna was the ideal student.

After a few moments, Kagome spoke up, "Well, first, if you're running low on internal ki, it can be used to make it last longer in an emergency. Second, it can probably help you keep from running low to begin with. From _how_ you said endure more, that probably means it _strengthens_ ki, so that it takes more damage or effort to drain it. Um… That's all I can think of right now, sensei."

Hearing her call him sensei made Sesshōmaru feel accomplished, which he immediately discarded as a distraction, but some of the emotion lingered. He was also incredibly proud of his student, and nodded firmly. "Those are all correct, well done, Kagome. Now, the second part of this lesson is meditation. Do you know what that is?"

She nodded and said, "Clearing your mind to calm it down."

Simplistic, but true, although not the full extent of its use. "It can also be used to gather information from your senses, to sense ki more deeply, and to focus your mind on something in particular. Now, this one wants you to close your eyes, little miko, and feel the earth-ki. Focus on it as it fills your body – if you can, try to pull it through your form evenly."

"Yes, sensei."

Soft, steady breaths replaced the chatter of before, and he gave off a quiet, encouraging growl meant to focus pups. Her breathing immediately slowed – oh, that pleased him immensely – and the intake of earth-ki flowing through her petite form smoothed out. Content, he kept up the growling as he meditated on his own, a light meditation, to be certain, but a meditation nonetheless.

Not wanting to make her first time meditating turn into a negative experience, he called it to a halt after a quarter of a candlemark, so that she wasn't allowed enough time to get bored or antsy. "Very good, little miko. Now, tell this Sesshōmaru how you feel."

* * *

Kagome had almost fallen asleep, meditation felt so very good to her. It was calming, relaxing, and warm and tingly, and her sensei's soft growling had given her a happy, fuzzy feeling. "Mmmm… really nice, Sesshōmaru-sama… Warm, and relaxed, and calm, and tingly-buzzy, and really happy. Thank you for stopping when you did though, sensei, because Kagome almost fell asleep a little bit, it just felt so wonderful."

She _thought_ that the huff of breath might have been a chuckle, but wasn't sure, so she ignored it and awaited further instruction.

He growled lowly again – such a pretty, comforting sound – and then asked, "How did you pull the ki throughout your body, little one?"

She thought, and remembered, softly responding, "Inside out. I pulled it up into my tummy area, and then let it slowly spread through my body, and then slowly spread outwards until it hit my skin."

"Hn. Very good. Not exact, but for the moment, it will do."

Kagome smiled brightly and sighed happily, feeling confident that she could do this. "Thank you, sensei!"

* * *

Her thanks were completely unnecessary to one such as him, but he still felt an odd sense of appreciation that she was thanking him for such a _simple_ lesson, he stretched his limbs out and stood, beckoning for the ningen girl to do the same. She obediently followed his example and when he moved towards the other side of the clearing, followed behind him. It was pleasant to be obeyed so readily in spite of a lack of fear. Yes, his subjects obeyed him out of respect, but the majority of them also feared him as well.

Pulling out the item he had had specially made for today – the reason he asked his student to come back in a few days' time, rather than immediately – he crouched down and held the shimmering, cream coloured bone bokken out, stating, "This is for you. It will be heavy, and hard to lift. You must do your best anyhow. It is imperative that you learn to protect yourself with more than just your ki, Kagome. Do you understand, little miko?"

Her eyes were wide as she took the bokken from him, clearly struggling to hold it up – it was, as he had warned her, quite heavy.

Nodding in approval, he said, "For now, simply hold it for as long as you can, at least three times daily. If you can manage more than that, it would best please this one, but there will be no disappointment or punishment for only managing the minimum, understood?"

She nodded, using both of her hands to hold the bokken up. "Yes, sensei. I will do my best!"

Then he settled in to wait, while she concentrated on holding the bokken up – her form was, oddly enough, not completely deplorable. But he would correct her form later, for now it was more important for her to adjust to the weight of the bokken.

Half a candlemark passed before she lowered the bokken and he smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth quirking up some, exceedingly proud that a ningen child was capable of holding up a yōkai bone bokken for such a long time on her first try. He wondered if her ki was instinctively bolstering her physical strength for her to be able to manage it, then dismissed the thought – it did not matter at the moment.

* * *

Kagome lowered the bokken, resting the tip against the ground and letting the earth take the weight from her aching, exhausted arms. It hurt, basically the entire time, to hold it up, and she knew it would hurt even more tomorrow, and continue hurting once she started proper lessons, but to her the slight look of pride in her sensei's eyes was **so** worth the ache and tiredness. "Well done, little miko. Now, come sit next to this one and begin meditating again, to replenish your reserves. It should also ease some of the pain you feel."

She obeyed without hesitation, laying the bokken in front of her as she sat between two roots and crossed her legs, resting her palms on her knees and then closing her eyes. The earth immediately greeted her like an old friend, and once the pretty, comforting growling began again, she pulled it into herself instead of just luxuriating in the buzzing, tingling warmth. The feeling of the warm, relaxing ki filling her body did indeed ease the ache of her muscles, and she sighed softly as her body unwound once more, although this time she was in no danger of falling asleep. Sesshōmaru-sama seemed to be able to tell, because this time she was cradled in the warmth of the ki around her for twice as long before he called a halt to the meditation and she slowly opened her eyes, stretching softly and only wincing a little bit from the ache in her arms and shoulders.

The next day brought more of the same instruction; meditating, holding the bokken, more meditating, then a meal of rice, veggies, roasted boar, and fruit for dessert. She liked it much more than the more complex meals she had at home, strangely enough.

During the week, she focused on school, holding her bokken for thirty minutes before school, then after school, then before bed, going out into the trees to meditate before and after each time. Sesshōmaru-sensei had told her that the proper way to pull ki through her form was to pull it through her bones (gosh that felt so weird), then her muscles (which relaxed them and made them feel stronger), then her veins (which just seemed natural), mixing with her blood before she allowed it to gravitate to her skin, although he warned her not to push it through her skin yet, just to hold it there, as until she was more used to using ki, it would tire her out too much.

When the first weekend came, she had managed to hold her bokken an extra time for two days. By the second weekend, it was two extra times.

Finally, on the third weekend, he showed her simple kata. They were just stances, but he positioned her body correctly and taught her a trick to memorise the kata with her ki, which sure made it easy to practise when she got home!

* * *

Sesshōmaru smiled slightly as he watched his pupil go through sword forms in a slow, fluid dance. She had superb control of her body now, never misplacing a muscle, never moving outside of proscribed positions, always in line and in tune with how she worked. Smirking to himself, he called a halt to her practise and sat down against the tree they typically used in the clearing. His pupil was growing stronger and was a natural with the sword, which gave him immense hope that she would be as adept of a student in his favoured weapon as well. "Attend."

She obediently sat in front of him as he demanded of her with that one word. Attend meant she was to pay attention and focus on him entirely, which was difficult for her to do if she was accessing her ki. She would become capable of it when she was older, but as of now she was only eight summers old, and would require much more training to develop that sort of multi-tasking ability. Much less training than he had required, but she aged more rapidly, and so it would happen sooner for her.

"This one is going to teach you a new weapon to use, now that you have better control over your body and how it moves. You are still expected to keep up with your sword work-" Her eyes burned with eagerness and determination, which filled him with pride. He had chosen well when he made the decision to teach her himself. "-but it is time to learn a new skill. Now, pull your ki out through your hand like so."

Demonstrating, his palm glowed a golden colour and with a mere thought, his ki formed into a whip, draping down and coiling in his lap. His little miko gasped with excitement and concentrated, her own ki mimicking his action and mirroring it as pink spilled forth into a slender coil of light and purification power. He stood and motioned to his side with his left hand, and she obediently followed, her own whip trailing behind her and beside her as she moved. Then he flicked his palm out and the whip extended, shifting with the smallest movements. She obediently and silently accompanied his action with her own, her shorter whip making a very similar movement to the movement his made. Smiling, he nodded and dismissed his whip, and she dismissed hers as well, as he said, "This has no forms, it only depends on you practising and learning how your body movements cause the whip to move. Practise with smaller lengths to begin with, and when I am satisfied with those, we will move on to longer lengths."

"Yes, Sesshōmaru-sensei!"

* * *

Kagome heaved a breath as she watched the whip she was learning to use and how it moved with the action. It jarred it some, so she was glad that it took quite a bit to make her breathe heavily any more. Making a decision, she flung her hand out and began a series of sword-dance steps, watching the light whip as it shifted and flowed along with her movements. She went from one dance to the next, through all twelve sword dances that she knew, until she was back where she started, and a throat being cleared shocked her out of her trance. Oh crap! Grandpa caught her! She turned around sheepishly, hands behind her back and the toe of her left shoe digging into the earth as she looked up through her inky lashes at him. He had an amused smile on his face – thank _goodness_ – and he asked her, "So, where are you learning to use the ki that none of us even knew you had, Kagome-chan?"

She hesitated to tell him – surely he would think her mad – and his eyes softened as he nodded. "You are not being put in any danger are you?"

She shook her head fervently. Sesshōmaru-sama took the utmost care of her! "Not at all, Grandpa. My sensei takes fantastic care of me."

He smiled, walked forward, and ruffled her hair lightly, making her squawk in protest, and making him laugh at her reaction. "Your mother has just begun wondering where you disappear to every weekend, and I will tell her that you are attending tutoring in the art of the sword – don't think I didn't recognise that you were doing sword-dances, Kagome-chan – and other forms of self defence, since it is definitely true. Is there anything I can do to make things easier for you, dear?"

She hesitated, before nodding firmly to herself, "Grandpa, would you sign me up for kyudo classes? I want to learn archery, but my sensei never learned to use a bow. Also, um… I'd really like to learn more about the Kami and yōkai and the things I need to learn to be a good miko, please."

It would put more on her plate, but Kagome knew that learning additional skills and learning the human side of lore and herbs would make Sesshōmaru-sensei very proud of her, and she basically lived off of making him proud of her.

* * *

Kagome centred herself, inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly, took in another breath, and dashed forward, her hands glowing as she flicked the right one out and lashed her whip at the wooden form to her right, her left hand reaching out as she darted towards that direction and slamming against the wooden form over there. Not missing a beat, she formed a bow and arrow out of her ki and shot three arrows in quick succession, hitting the next three targets in her way, before she used her ki to speed her movements up and dashed towards the last two, wielding her sword in her right hand and her whip in the left, both glowing as she attacked the final two targets, leaving behind seven smoking targets where her ki had obliterated the yōki surrounding them and imbued in them.

She wasn't even breathing heavily this time, and that fact made her undeniably proud as she turned toward her sensei patiently. He was _smiling_ – a **full** smile! – and the sight made her face heat up and her stomach turn to butterflies. Kagome knew that she had a special place in her sensei's life, being the only human that he thought worth his attention, but she really wished this stupid crush would fade. That was unlikely though, as she'd been in love with her sensei for the past year and more, and it only seemed to be growing more intense as time passed, rather than lessening.

* * *

Sesshōmaru's smile turned into a smirk as he caught the scent of his student's attraction in the air, wafting towards him and drawing him towards her like a bee to honey. Just over a year ago, Kagome had reached fifteen summers, and his beast had begun howling in demand that he claim her as soon as he had first scented her attraction, but he knew most ningen were fickle creatures. His little miko probably not so; but he had bided his time and waited, wanting to make sure that her attraction was as deep as his own was.

Oh and the heady feeling of being wanted by his student had just grown and grown, so today he decided it was time, and he purposefully strode forwards, watching her eyes widen, their beautiful and unique blue darkening as the scent of lust saturated the air. He was prowling after her, and she stood stock still, trembling, her face flushed, her body tense with anticipation, hope lancing through the scent of attraction she was giving off. When he pulled her body close to his, bent down, and captured her lips in a dominating kiss, she moaned into his mouth, her petite hands coming up and fisting in his kimono as she melted against him.

He was best pleased with this response, and when he pulled away with a growl, she made an adorable noise of desolate need. He growled a different growl to reassure her and she quieted, blown pupils hazily focused on him as he said, "You are _mine_, Kagome. Be my mate, now and forevermore."

* * *

Kagome couldn't even protest that he wasn't asking her – she loved Sesshōmaru for _who he was_, and that included him demanding what he felt he deserved, taking what he wanted, when he wanted it, and being possessive of what was his. And Kagome had been his ever since she fell into the well the first time, although the type of belonging was different back then.

So she melted against him and went up on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear as best as she could, "Yes, Sesshōmaru! Always and forever yes!"

The pleased look in his eyes, the possessive, happy growl he made, and the way he attacked her mouth once more filled her with the warmth of love, adoration, and belonging.

She was home.

* * *

Being home did not mean that lessons were over, in fact, it added even more lessons onto her plate, once she was settled in.

She had told her mama and her grandpa and her brother that she was getting married, and before Mama and Sōta could protest, Grandpa had smiled softly at her and asked, "Let me guess, your sensei from wherever has become aware of what a prize you are?"

She flushed darkly at that and murmured softly, "I think he always knew, and was just waiting to make sure my own feelings were true."

Which was nothing less than the truth. After an intense make out session, she had asked him when he knew he loved her, and he had simply stated, "Always."

She had known then that he was waiting for her crush to turn into love, for her to be old enough, and for her to be ready to leave her future-home behind.

Then she admitted where she had been going for the past nine years, what she had undergone and how she simply did not feel at home in this era with its technology and pollution, with its disbelief in supernatural things which still existed, just so thoroughly integrated into their lives that they couldn't even sense them. "I'll grow into being able to accept this kind of life, and I promise I'll come visit, Mama, Sōta, Grandpa, but I just… my home and my heart are with Sesshōmaru."

Nodding in understanding, they prepared one last meal for her as she was now, and she ate, and went home – through the well for the last time and into the embrace of her beloved.

They mated that night, and she prepared for her place by his side as his Lady.

It was difficult, learning how to govern, but thankfully they did not live inside the shiro that was technically his place of living. Instead he was there for three sennights every season, and spent the rest of his time patrolling his lands.

That was when she heard the name which filled her with a sense of foreboding, a sense of danger, an urgency that she had to take care of this before it became a problem.

Naraku.

* * *

Sesshōmaru watched his mate in the firelight, his eyes tracing over her delicate, beautiful, and strong features as she slept. They were on a journey to get rid of a yōkai that was getting frustrating even for Sesshōmaru. Naraku, from what rumours they had heard, was a spider hanyō, and he hid like a spider, abandoning his lairs whenever they got too close. Sesshōmaru had a sense that today would be important, however, that today they would find some one or some thing that would aid in their search. Smirking, he trailed his claws gently over his mate's skin, and she moaned softly, arching into his touch in her sleep even as her eyes fluttered open blearily. He kissed her with all the love he held for her, and the scent of arousal thickened in the air around them, his own combining with hers as he slid to press his body against hers from above, kissing and nipping from her lips, across her jaw, and down her throat, which she absolutely perfectly bared for him.

"Sesshōmaru…"

The simple utterance of his name that was so wanton and needful lit his soul aflame, and he captured her lips once more, entering her with one swift thrust. The way she cried out into his mouth, the way her body arched against his, the flush of arousal darkening her face and chest in the firelight, it all combined into a feeling of utter perfection as he made love to her. His hands and claws caressed her skin as he slid in and out of her, and soon they were both breathing heavily, his forehead resting against hers as her fingers tightened in his hair, nails scraping along his scalp, his name falling from her lips with every other breath she took.

It was exquisite.

When he was ready to spill his seed, all it took was a bite to the front of her throat and she screamed, tightening almost impossibly around him as she bared herself in complete submission to him, and he exploded, growling and groaning as he achieved his release.

When they were both recovered, he released her throat and kissed her gently and sweetly, making her sigh and smile into his mouth. When they parted, she nuzzled his jaw and gave him a look of utter adoration, making his heart overflow with love for this perfect, beautiful being that he was mated to. "I love you, Kagome."

Words he sparingly used, not because he did not mean them, but because admitting such an overpowering feeling was difficult for one such as him. She returned his words with fervour, "I love you more than words can express, Sesshōmaru."

They spent until the dawn exchanging sweet kisses, soft nuzzles, gentle caresses. It was sublime, having affection in his life once more, affection he felt comfortable freely returning, and he cherished his mate more than anything else in the world.

* * *

Kagome was unsurprised at her mate's method of waking her up, but there was something especially poignant about the way his body spoke to hers today, something soft and sweet and all-encompassing in his actions this day. Sesshōmaru was not a verbose person, and his actions spoke louder than the words he used, which, while they were not very few to her, were almost non-existent towards other people. _Kagome_ was the one who gathered information, which was partly what was hindering their search; being mated to a yōkai made people who were close-minded – meaning the majority of humans in this time – look down on her and close up. Not that she cared, really.

Their opinions didn't matter to her.

Smiling softly to herself, she rubbed her body against her mate's and slid out of the sleeping furs so she could bathe in the onsen beyond the clearing they were camped in. He joined her after a minute or two, and they bathed each other, dried each other off, and set about their morning grooming, each combing through the other's hair in turn and Kagome combing through mokomoko-sama as well.

When they finished, they breakfasted, drinking tea and eating steamed rice, scramble eggs, and fried vegetables. Kagome did most of the cooking now that she was used to cooking over a fire. It led to more variety, since Sesshōmaru mainly could simply grill or roast meat and veggies, and boil rice. That was about the extent of his knowledge of cooking.

Once they ate and Kagome washed the dishes, they fed Ah-Un, made sure the packs were secured tightly to their back, and were off, the two headed dragon that was their travelling companion lumbering behind them as they sedately walked through the countryside. Jaken had originally been going to come with them, but Kagome had put her foot down – until and unless they gathered more companions, the little kappa would **not** be joining them. He wasn't a pack member, unlike their beloved Ah-Un, he was just a subordinate, and they had no real need of him. He was best left in the shiro managing things in their absence.

Sesshōmaru had capitulated very rapidly to her insistence, which made her think that he was as frustrated and annoyed with the constantly-grovelling kappa as she was.

* * *

They finally hit a village around noon, and Sesshōmaru opted to join her, rather than staying behind as he did fully half the times they were at human areas. That was a vastly good thing, as when they reached an inn and ordered a meal, she found herself blinking in shock as she saw… There was no way, was there?

But there was! Sesshōmaru tilted his head in recognition of what they were seeing, and growled an accepting tone when he divined her intent once they accepted that it was not a hallucination. Walking over to the other table, she smiled sweetly, seeing the young kitsune kit clinging to the robes of the monk. It _was_ wonderful not to be the only holy being that had a fondness for or acceptance of yōkai.

"Hello there, my name is Kagome, and I was wondering, would you like to join myself and my mate for this meal?"

She hoped they accepted. Something told her that these two could aid in their endeavour, even though the little kit was very young indeed, despite the amazing control he had over his shape. The monk looked up, aubergine orbs meeting cerulean, and the he looked down at the kitsune kit, who nodded fervently after sneaking a look at their table where Sesshōmaru sat. "We would be pleased to, Kagome-sama. My name is Miroku, and this little one is Shippō."

She led the way back to her table with a pleased smirk, and sat next to her mate as the monk and kit sat across for them, the little one trembling with excitement as he saw Sesshōmaru. "S-Sesshōmaru-sama?"

Sesshōmaru zeroed in on the kit, scented the air, and demandingly held a clawed hand out, leading the little one to scramble onto the table, still trembling, and press his head into the hand obediently. "Would you be Daichi's son?"

Shippō nodded, "Yes, Sesshōmaru-sama! My name is Shippō. Father always told me to find you if he died, but…"

The kit sniffled and shook more, leading Sesshōmaru to curl his fingers into those auburn locks and comb through them. "-I kinda got lost an' stuck tryin' to get revenge until Miroku found me."

Kagome ran her fingers through the kitsune's tail, smiling at a shocked monk as she nodded, "He likely didn't intend to die so soon, as well."

Intense green eyes locked onto her and the kit shyly asked, "Kagome-sama?"

She hummed softly in encouragement, and the kit ventured, "Does this mean you're inviting us to your pack?"

Kagome nodded seriously, "Yes, we would like you to travel with us. It is even more fitting now that we know who you are – Sesshōmaru told me much about your father, and you need to be adopted properly so that you can learn once more."

Then she turned to Miroku with a gentle smile and stated, "Thank you very much for taking care of the little one. Not many with holy powers would bother to care for yōkai, which was what made me invite you to join us to begin with."

Their meals arrived and she waited for the server to leave, before asking, "What on earth happened to give your hand a separate, dissonant source of ki so destructive?"

Then Miroku told them of his history with Naraku – what providence! – and she sighed, "Well, I am doubly glad I asked you to join us. We are seeking the spider hanyō ourselves, I feel it is my duty to get rid of the insect, and my mate is kindly supporting me on this journey. My apologies, I am making an assumption – will you join us?"

"Indeed, Kagome-sama. I would not pass such an opportunity up, in all honesty, even were I not attached to little Shippō."

Kagome smiled brightly, relief filling her form as she relaxed against Sesshōmaru. Somehow she felt this this was the absolute best decision to make for their little travelling party; now a small pack.

* * *

The wind bit into her as Kagome tightened her cosy haori around her body. It was almost uncomfortably warm with the sun beating down on her, but the wind was bitterly cold, slicing through her petite form, even with the haori around her kimono, warming her up. She loved the gorgeous, simple pattern on her haori, it being a pristine white with cerulean blue cherry blossoms inside of hexagons; matching her mate's haori in pattern but differing in colour from his crimson dye that matched his markings; Kagome had similar markings on her hips, wrists, ankles, cheeks, knees, under her breasts, and shoulders, only hers were the same colour as her eyes, a vivid blue that contrasted with her mate's blood-red.

Finally, the wind died down and she shrugged out of the haori, letting it drape around her waist as they walked sedately along the countryside. Shippō was currently riding on Ah-Un with Miroku, the monk having found out some important information at the previous town that was leading them in the direction of Naraku's latest lair. Hopefully they would get there before he had the chance to run and abandon his hide out.

Ten minutes later – Kagome still thought in minutes and seconds and hours, when inside of her own mind, but when speaking aloud, she had adjusted to candlemarks for her time depiction – they had arrived at Naraku's lair and the spider hanyō was fighting them in such a cowardly manner, his saimyōshō attacking them on a constant basis. Kagome, however, could purify the jyaki wasps, and as well, purify the poison that infected Miroku when he absorbed them. Soon they were at the final room in the maze of caverns, and her wonderful, powerful mate had attacked the spider hanyō, Miroku taking care of the saimyōshō a she shot purifying arrows at each row of tentacles, making them disappear methodically as she concentrated her ki.

Finally, the three of them – Ah-Un was watching Shippō, her precious son – managed to expose his core, and before he could manage to disappear, she attacked him with her arrows and her light whip, using the arrows to dig deep into his body and the whip to sting his shell of a form outside of his core. Soon he was screaming in agony, and he disappeared into ash, a false wind blowing his body into billions of minuscule particles.

Relieved that he was finally, finally done, Kagome rushed towards Sesshōmaru, embracing and kissing him deeply, which he tolerantly returned before stroking her hair.

Then, suddenly, his eyes widened and he bent down, scenting her abdomen deeply. Kagome gasped and waited for his perusal to finish, and when it did, she squeaked happily, as he kissed her furiously and desperately, growling happily. "Shippō will have a sister soon, mate of mine. You are with child."

Kagome attacked him, as her energy purified the cavern they were in, filling every tunnel within it with her joy and pride. They could go home now. She was done with everything now. She could make a family with her mate. Kagome was beyond happy.

She would always be thankful for the dare when she was a child.


End file.
